DETROIT — Nobody likes to rehash a losing season, and the Pirates are no different. When asked what went wrong in 2017 — when the team produced a second straight sub-.500 record and finished fourth in the NL Central — many of the players offered only short, vague thoughts.

The culprit most players cited was the inability to field a complete, healthy lineup. Starling Marte was suspended 80 games after testing positive for a steroid. Jung Ho Kang still isn’t allowed into the United States after being convicted of drunk driving for a third time in South Korea.

Francisco Cervelli (68 days missed due to four disabled list stints), Gregory Polanco (47 days missed due to three DL stints), and Adam Frazier (30 days missed due to two DL stints) were injured at different times. Jameson Taillon missed 39 days due to a bout with testicular cancer.

However, analysis by RosterResource.com indicates that injuries did not have all that much of an impact on the...

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